Community Corner

March Fare Hike Called Worst Subway Event Of 2013

Advocacy group outlines stumbles, achievements for the city's buses and subways.

The Straphangers Campaign, a commuter advocacy group famous for its annual subway rankings, skipped its yearly letter grades in 2013 because of Sandy recovery.

But that doesn't mean they're going to go easy on the MTA. 

In a list released Wednesday, the group put together the ten worst things to happen in the city's subways and buses in 2013. 

The worst? March's fare hike that the group pegged at twice the rate of inflation. Quoting state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the group pointed out that the cost of a Metrocard fare had gone up nearly 50 percent since 2007. 

Also among this year's worst events for the subway and bus system: the Superstorm Sandy recovery bill, which totaled nearly $5 billion, the number of deaths in the subways and the time it took to reopen the Smith-9th Street station in Brooklyn.

But it wasn't all bad news, and the Straphangers pointed out some good things, as well. 

Among the best things to happen this year, according to the group, were the decision to reduce by 50 percent a fare hike scheduled for 2015 and the expansion of Select Bus Service, which recently opened a new route in Bed-Stuy.

For more, check out the group's list at their site here. 


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